HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-12-24, Page 11Christmas with Blyth Public
School principal Jane Morton’s
family has always been big, but
about 20 years ago, it also got very
bright and flashy.
Morton can recall, even from an
early age, scores of family members
arriving at her parents’ house every
Christmas Eve.
“There was always a lot of
tradition. Cousins and uncles and
aunts would always come to my
parents’ house on Christmas Eve,”
she said. “The smallest Christmas I
can remember was when we had 15
people in the house.”
On Christmas Eve, once everyone
had settled in, there was an open
house where small gifts were
exchanged, Morton says.
On Christmas morning everyone
got up and opened gifts together.
Even more family members would
come over, including Morton’s
grandparents. A Christmas dinner
was held shortly after noon. Dinner
was early to ensure a safer drive
home for family members travelling
from London and Grand Bend.
One Christmas, Morton recalls,
they welcomed family members
from Texas, who flew in on Dec. 22
and stayed for two weeks.
It was a particularly snowy
Christmas, she said, and her relatives
who were not accustomed to snow
went out on sleigh rides and
snowmobiling and spent as much
time as they could in the snow.
Growing up at her parents’ house,
Morton and her family would
frequently go skating throughout the
holiday season on the backyard
skating rink they had carved out.
The tradition is still very much
alive. Morton’s brother has a skating
rink in his backyard, perfect for
holiday skating.
When Christmas got bright and
flashy was when Morton left for
university. When she came back, her
father had begun a hobby which he
continues today of decorating the
house, inside and out, with extreme
detail.
On Morton’s parents’ house right
now there are lights, character cut-
outs, all originally designed and
painted, but it doesn’t stop there.
Morton’s own house is decorated
with extreme detail as well, with her
father also taking her house as well
as her brother’s house under his
wing to be decorated.
There are very strict guidelines as
well as to when the decorations
should be put up and taken down.
Morton says the decorations have to
be up before the area’s Santa Claus
parade and then down before the
new year.
Right now, for instance, Morton
has a clan of dancing bears
decorating her house, not to mention
a group of snowmen peering over the
fence and her brother has been
furnished with a group of skating
bears, in honour of his backyard
skating rink.
Morton insists all of the work is
done by her dad. She says her
mother jokes that all she does is put
the wreath on the door.
And while Blyth Public School is
decorated for Christmas, it is
nothing compared to the Mortons’
home. However, she insists, there are
plenty of holiday traditions alive and
well with the school.
“We have our Christmas concert
every year and we’re very fortunate
because we get to have it at
Memorial Hall, rather than in our
gym,” she said.
Charity is always a big part of
Christmas at Blyth Public School.
The school participates in the Huron
County Christmas Bureau as well as
collecting for the local food bank.
Many of the charitable initiatives are
student-run, which Morton
encourages.
The school also holds a Christmas
dance where admission will go to
help less-fortunate families in one
way or another.
The school also takes a walk down
to the Blyth Community Centre on
the last day of school for some
skating and then perhaps a
Christmas movie in the afternoon as
the students are sent off to their
Christmas vacations.
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2008. PAGE 11.
All lit up
Jane Morton, Blyth Public School’s principal, has a Christmas tradition that always takes a lot
of effort to uphold, extreme decoration. Morton’s father began the tradition when she was in
university and has kept it going ever since. He dresses his house from head to toe and then
visits Morton, as well as her brother, to do the honours at their houses as well. (Courtesy photo)
Family traditions big part of principal’s Christmas
Prepare to sing
Blyth Public School principal Jane Morton and the student
council were also the selection committee for carols to be
sung in the final week leading up to the Christmas break,
another holiday tradition the school holds close to its heart.
Back row, from left: Josh Raynard, Ronnie Vercruyssen
and Alex Peters. Front row, from left: Morton, Kathryn
Peach and Kelsey Kerr. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Joe and Debbie Seili and family
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Office: 519-527-0400
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By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen